INSPIRE Scheme Performance (2023‑26): Expansion of MANAK, Scholarships & Fellowships Across States

<h2>Performance Overview of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research – a flagship programme of the Department of Science and Technology that creates a pipeline from school‑level curiosity to advanced research (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE Scheme</span></h2> <p>The Ministry of Science &amp; Technology, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, presented detailed statistics for the three financial years <strong>2023‑24, 2024‑25 and 2025‑26</strong>. The data cover the four major components – <span class="key-term" data-definition="INSPIRE‑MANAK – a school‑level component that funds innovative ideas of students (Classes VI‑XII) with ₹10,000 each (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE‑MANAK</span>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) – a scholarship of ₹80,000 per annum for students aged 17‑22 pursuing basic and natural sciences (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE‑SHE</span>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="INSPIRE Fellowship – a PhD‑level fellowship offering JRF/SRF stipends and research grants (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE Fellowship</span> and <span class="key-term" data-definition="INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship – a post‑doctoral fellowship of ₹1,25,000 per month and a research grant of ₹35 lakh for early‑career researchers (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship</span>. The scheme aims to nurture scientific talent from school to research.</p> <h3>Key Developments (2023‑26)</h3> <ul> <li>Overall <strong>students participated in INSPIRE‑MANAK rose from 8.55 lakh (2023‑24) to 11.47 lakh (2025‑26)</strong>, covering 719 to 729 districts.</li> <li>Number of schools involved increased from <strong>2.24 lakh to 2.75 lakh</strong> over the same period.</li> <li>Targeted outreach in rural and government schools led to a steady rise in participation from remote districts.</li> <li>State‑wise support peaked in <strong>Andhra Pradesh (≈ 4.5 k MANAK beneficiaries in 2023‑24)</strong>, <strong>Rajasthan (≈ 6.8 k)</strong> and <strong>Uttar Pradesh (≈ 7.2 k)</strong>.</li> <li>Special focus districts – <span class="key-term" data-definition="Palnadu district – a district in Andhra Pradesh highlighted for its participation in the scheme (GS3: Science & Technology)">Palnadu</span>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency – a constituency in Odisha used as a case study for rural outreach (GS2: Polity)">Nabarangpur</span> and <span class="key-term" data-definition="Bulandshahr district – a district in Uttar Pradesh featured for its MANAK and SHE beneficiaries (GS3: Science & Technology)">Bulandshahr</span> received detailed monitoring.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts & Figures</h3> <p><strong>INSPIRE‑MANAK</strong>:<br/> - 2023‑24: 8,54,553 students, 2,24,283 schools, 719 districts.<br/> - 2024‑25: 10,13,229 students, 2,53,459 schools, 723 districts.<br/> - 2025‑26: 11,47,343 students, 2,74,528 schools, 729 districts.</p> <p>State‑wise snapshot (2023‑24 to 2025‑26):<br/> - <strong>Andhra Pradesh</strong>: MANAK beneficiaries 4,530 → 3,424; SHE scholarships 0 → 0; Fellowships 35 → 22; Faculty Fellowships 1 → 6.<br/> - <strong>Uttar Pradesh</strong>: MANAK 1,940 → 7,173; SHE 3,297 → 5,474; Fellowships 56 → 64; Faculty Fellowships 11 → 15.</p> <p>District‑level data (selected districts):<br/> - <span class="key-term" data-definition="Palnadu district – a district in Andhra Pradesh highlighted for its participation in the scheme (GS3: Science & Technology)">Palnadu</span>: MANAK participants 111 → 163; SHE – none.<br/> - <span class="key-term" data-definition="Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency – a constituency in Odisha used as a case study for rural outreach (GS2: Polity)">Nabarangpur</span>: MANAK participants 149 → 72; SHE – none.<br/> - <span class="key-term" data-definition="Bulandshahr district – a district in Uttar Pradesh featured for its MANAK and SHE beneficiaries (GS3: Science & Technology)">Bulandshahr</span>: MANAK 20 → 140; SHE 13 → 7.</p> <p>Outreach mechanisms include regular meetings with State and District Nodal Officers, teacher‑training workshops, multimedia campaigns, and mentorship through <span class="key-term" data-definition="Atal Tinkering Labs – school‑level innovation labs set up by the Ministry of Education to foster hands‑on STEM learning (GS3: Science & Technology)">ATLs</span>. Selected students receive ₹10,000 for prototype development, mentorship from IIT/NIT faculty, and support for patent filing and incubation.</p> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>The scheme illustrates how the government operationalises its <strong>science & technology policy</strong> (GS3) by creating a talent pipeline, promoting inclusive innovation, and linking education with research. Understanding the structure of <span class="key-term" data-definition="INSPIRE‑MANAK – a school‑level component that funds innovative ideas of students (Classes VI‑XII) with ₹10,000 each (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE‑MANAK</span> and the scholarship/fellowship components helps answer questions on skill‑development programmes, rural outreach, and inter‑ministerial coordination (GS2). The data also serve as a case study for evaluating the effectiveness of centrally‑funded schemes.</p> <h3>Way Forward</h3> <ul> <li>Strengthen monitoring by integrating real‑time dashboards for district‑level performance.</li> <li>Expand mentorship networks with more premier institutions and industry partners.</li> <li>Introduce a dedicated grant for prototype commercialization to translate ideas into startups.</li> <li>Continue focused outreach in underserved districts like <span class="key-term" data-definition="Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency – a constituency in Odisha used as a case study for rural outreach (GS2: Polity)">Nabarangpur</span> to bridge the urban‑rural gap.</li> </ul> <p>Overall, the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research – a flagship programme of the Department of Science and Technology that creates a pipeline from school‑level curiosity to advanced research (GS3: Science & Technology)">INSPIRE Scheme</span> demonstrates a systematic approach to building India’s scientific manpower, a key agenda for the nation’s future growth.</p>